The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-05-04
VICTIMS OF A FIRE.
Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, Visited BY a
Disastrous CorhsgratOn.
Two Persons Suifocated by Smoke and Two
Thought to Be Fatally Injured by
jumping From the Windows.

PrrTsBURe, April 26.-One of the most
disastrous fires in this vicinity for some
time broke out this morning in Willis
Bro grocery, corner Lacock and Cory
streets, Allegheny City, entailing loss of
life, besides injury to several people and
the destruction OF considerable property.
The building, which is a four-story one,
and the largest in the neighborhood, is
occupied by Charles, John and George
Willis. They and their mother and some
roomers occupy the upper stories. Shortly
after O'Clock Mrs. Willis was awakened
by cracking noise and the smell OF smoke.
Arising she saw sparks coming up the ele-
vator in the rear portion of the building.
She alarmed the inmates, and at the same
time people on the outside discovered the
fire and gave the alarm. A number of per-
soDs were known TO be in the burning
building, and the hremen Immediately ran
ladders to the various floors, while the
police turned their attention to breaking
in the doors and fighting their way to the
rooms of the unfortunates.
Upstairs, bewildered by the smoke and
flames, were Mrs. Willis, Miss Olive Willis,
Miss Mary Willis, John Willis, William
Eberman, employed as driver by the firm;
two Greeks named Hogg1tzrun and Prel-
leriZen, who worked for the Greek-Ameri-
can Candy Company and roomed in the
building; Fred Schultz, So emDloYe OF the
firm; Charles Willis, George Willis and
Miss Sophie Boles. These people were first
thought of by the firemen. and never has
the Allegheny department done better
work.
The smoke was thick and hung in dense
clouds through passages and Railways. To
open a window from one of the ladders
was to meet a cloud of sufocating vapor,
but into it all both iremen and police
plunged. The heads of the frightened
women were enveloped in clothes and they
were carried out, all uninjured-except
Sophie Boles; she could not be found, and
almost from the first was looked upon as
lost.
One of the most appalling. incidents Of
the fire was the jumping of two of the peo-
pie from the building while tie hremen
were fighting their way up stairs and the
awe-struck crowd stood on the streets gaz-
ing up at the burning building. William
Eberman appeared at a window on the
third floor. He was too far gone to shout,
but he was seen, and the crowd yelled TO
him to hold on. A ladder went up, and a
man started TO help him. When the
rescuer had reached the second floor Eber-
man was seen 10 lurch forward and then
come down with a crash. Whether he fell
or jumped could lot be told. he fell on
his bead and shoulders, and was picked up
unconscious.
One of the Greeks, Hoggitzrun, power
full man, was the other victim. His room
was on the fourth floor. The bravery of a
man in the crowd probably saved his life.
The Greek had poised himself on the sill,
looking at the flames behind and the pave
ment below, and then made a spring from
the sill. Just as the body shot downward
man from the crowd ran forward and
with arms outstretched caught the falling
body. The force sent him to the ground
with the Greek, but the latter's head hit
the pavement and it is thought his skull is
fractured. The man who had run such a
rish for a stranger disappeared and the
Greek was carried away. The fire held on
stubbornly and it was $3.50 o'clock before
it was under control. A search of the
house was then made, and the bodies OF
Sophie Boles and Fred Schultz were found
on the fourth floor. They were still in bed,
and had evidently been suffocated from
smoke. The injured, Eberman and the
two Greeks, were removed to q hospital,
where they ere now resting easy. 1t is
feared, however, that Eberman and Hog
gitzrun will not recover.
The fire is supposed to have been caused
by an explosion of natural gas. The loss
is $50, 900; covered by insurance.